Future hybrid cars won’t just have powerful batteries — they will be storing energy in their doors,
hoods and roofs. Car parts could serve as capacitors, which would allow
for smaller and more lightweight batteries, thus increasing a hybrid’s
range.

Researchers at Imperial College London are working on lightweight
auto body components that also store electricity, reports the New York
Times. The car frames would be made of plastic composites reinforced
with carbon fiber. The resin that binds the carbon fibers is doped with
lithium ions, the Times reports — this allows the car’s frame to store
electricity.

One of the biggest obstacles to increasing a hybrid car’s range is the size and weight of the battery. More powerful batteries
can power a car for a longer distance, but they also weigh more, and
this saps more energy, counteracting the power increase. High-efficiency
lightweight batteries are a ripe field of study. But this research,
which also involves automaker Volvo, takes energy storage out of the
battery and directly into the car.